Africa Wild

-O -O Some things are best untold..... -O -O Don't reveal all...

Dawn was a foncusing time for me on Sunday 29 Jan 2012. I was aware of the birds chirping, and immediately aware of my surroundings. It was relatively quiet compared to home where I have hadedas and Egyptian geese as an alarm clock. My brain yelled for more sleep and I was more than willing. Listening intently (yes, I was in my bed in a tent at the time) for the sounds of any other campers. Satisfied that I was most likely the only person awake, I went back to sleep.

Some time later, I heard my fellow pinkos talking about the lion. It transpired that someone had heard it earlier. Silly tarts, I thought. Don't they know I snore. Especially loudly when I have had a Nogga or two? It was probably me they heard.

For a while I lay in bed wanting coffee and more sleep. I could hear the automatic coffee machine at work and figured that coffee in bed was most likely a stretch of the imagination too far. Only way this was going to happen was to get up. Beeega mistaka.

My leg bones that had only as recently as 6 hours ago been dissolved, hadn't had time to grow back. Either that, or the ground was just as unstable as it was when I went to bed.

PN told me I looked delightful with the bags under my eyes. WTF??? I could have sworn I arrived at Pilanesberg without Liewe Exies one and two in tow. What were they doing in my face?? Coffee and a rusk helped somewhat and the shower was even better.

By now it was somewhere after 6 am. Half the days viewing gone. Once again, we were probably going to be the last out of camp. Some folk had already broken camp, and were moving out, others were busy.

We decided on a short (ish) drive and meet back at camp around 11 or 12. From there we would strike camp and go home. Little did we realise what awaited us as we left to go on our drive.

A short way from camp and we saw what looked like Amoli's Lichtensteins. We just accepted that they were and moved on. Not much game and very few cars. At Rakgotla hide (Where Amoli's lazy pregnant hippo was hiding, we saw a Pin tailed Whydah on the gate post as we drove in. Only thing is the little short didn't want to pose for us. Not sure if it was the two liewe exies under my eyes that made me look more scary than usual, or if maybe something else.)

The hide was quiet, although I finally got to see a hippo up close. Moving on again, we decided to give Makwe a miss although we did the hippo loop and saw a male ostrich who seemed to have lost his harem. He was all alone and eyeballed the car like it was something from out of space.

Penga Ndlovu wrote:You could have fooled me.

The last Nogga I poured you found a bit weak and you chucked that last bit of Whiskey in with it to top it up.

Methinks young man, that the story has a slightly different twist. The brandy bottle had taken a serious beating in your hands and several Noggas the night before. The cupboard so to speak was bare and everything was down to minimum levels. I said I would have mine with the remaining black so you and the young coffee maker could have a bit more with yours.

I think you underestimated the popularity of that lethal beverage. Something to remember for next times planning. More Amarula and more whipsky.

Penga Ndlovu wrote:In contrary to popular believe on this forum I am not at all the drinking man HB makes everybody to believe.
The problem is that he cannot hold his liquor down that well and he see everything triple.
3 Beers and 6 Noggas over a period of 2.5 days I hardly call "hitting the bottle".

Yeah, yeah, for some of us, that is more than we drink in several months.

Penga Ndlovu wrote: But I must admit.
I had quite a few good laughs whenever I saw one of the others trying to stand up to go to fetch something or go to the loo.
Now going to the loo always was a nice sight to see.
From our table the loo was about 7 meters away from us and for two in our group it was about triple the distance.

Some of us see more while under the influence. Some of see less. In either event, judgement is impaired. That toilet was at least 14 meters away dude.

Penga Ndlovu wrote: After me Iloma and Ria woke up and by that time the designated coffeemaker really needed to get into gear as I was getting pretty grumpy when I do not get my coffee when I wake up.

DDDAAAARRREEENNN!!!!!!!!

CCCCOOOOFFFFEEEE!!!!!!

Grumble, grumble

Growl, growl

"Hey. Iloma. Do you think he lost his pants or is he still just boozed up?"

"No. I think he is just naturally grumpy in the morning."

"GET OUT OF THERE. WE NEED OUR COFFEE OR A BUCKET OF ICE IS GOING TO LAND IN THE TENT!!"

"Maybe he needs another Nogga?"

"Keep that stuff away from me or I will, by accident, get out of my tent stark naked."

"Please don't."

"Please do!!!!!"

-O -O -O -O -O
I was enjoying the pillow I had //\0-- //\0-- //\0-- and could have done with a NOGGA

Flutterby wrote:A Nogga for breakfast probably would have sorted you all out!!!

You don't understand. These things are so highly addictive that a Nogga breakfast (as opposed to a champagne one) would have had us all sitting around camp for the rest of the day. No drive would have happened and the Makulu sighting would not have happened.

In fact, we'd probably still be sitting there...

These things have no off button. They only stop when the bottles are empty. Just ask Sprocket man.......

3 cups of coffee and a hour or so later we were on our way to the gate again. Just for a short drive.

"Maybe we will find the Lions today?"

"The only thing I see are those colorful birdies. They are everywhere. Where is my PDA?
Who stole my PDA? Oh wait. I have it here. In my hand."

"You still not awake yet JN?"

"If he is still as much asleep as I feel bad, he will not see anything for the next 3 hours."

"Yes Hunnybun. That is what you get from trying to keep up with those young guys. No more drinking parties for you in the future."

"And what about JN? He is a lot younger than me and looks nearly as bad?"

"Yes, but he is nearly as good looking normally and right now I am stuck."

"How so hunny?"

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?"

"No. It cracked."

"Bwhahahahahahahahahaha"

"Bwhahahahahahahaha"

This is a fair transcript of the conversation the crazy elephant was having with himself. I still haven't worked out who is who yet, but he and his alter ego were having a good old one on three. When I suggested to PN that he was schitzo, he said "I'm not. And neither am I!!".

True story.

Meanwhile I was wishing that I'd had some rice crispies for brekkie. At least they would have told me what to do for the day. It was going to be a long time befiore we managed to feed the babalaas. Damn I was thirsty.

JN echoed my thoughts by saying if he knew he was goijng to be this thirsty, he would have had more to drink. Maybe it was a blessing that we ran out of Amarula and snake bite. Damn, a double cheese, egg, bacon and chilli burger, some fries and a liter coke would sort me out for the rest of the day. Oh and perhaps a Windy corner draft as a chaser. Bottoms up.

Meanwhile my bottom was dragging along the ground...

After our Saturday drive, I wanted to treat my friend to a Body Massage.
You can see the massage table in outside cubicles with the curtains blowing in the wind.
It seemed the perfect end to a perfect day....



but, alas, it was non-operational due to storm damage...



Sunset at Bakgala..


Saturday evening events were covered (and overshadowed) by the men. 8)

On Sunday morning...... blah, blah PN......and all he told you... -O -O
After our first coffee, Ria and myself took to the park.
Our first sighting this morning was an Impie doing his gymnastic stints...



A perfect picture of serenity caught my eye, and we switched off the car and spent a few quiet minutes.


Just behind our garden was this tree. We spoke how our lives entertwine each other's - to someday branch out and start a new one.


We took a slow drive up to Tilodi Dam and saw some Hippo - seemed they were just taking it slow.. :P


A Swainsons Spur fowl rushed out to greet us, before hurrying away again... :D


And then for a reason - Ei - two birds crashed....it appeared to really have been an accident..


One landed perfectly - yet the other one was caught by it's tail in the thorns and couldn't get loose Ox


We watched for a long time. The bird at the top would flap it's wings hurriedly as if to say : Try again,
and then the caught one would try again. It was just something to see that the friend wouldn't leave the other one alone.


I eventually left or I would've got out to go and help the bird. On our return later they were gone.

This LBR was a super sighting for me....




Time was up and we needed to head back to camp and get some food and start packing up.
I was a bit queasy also after having two Marulas the previous evening... forced....

Hey. Nobody forced you and if I remember correctly and I do, you even took a big glass with you in the tent.

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